Poultry and Game Recipes - Irish Roast Pheasant Recipe

  
 

Poultry and Game Recipes - Irish Roast Pheasant Recipe

Ingredients

Serve 2

  • 50 g/2 oz butter

  • 875 g/1 3/4 lb oven-ready pheasant, with giblets

  • 1 small onion, quartered

  • 1 celery stick, chopped

  • 1 small carrot, sliced

  • 65 ml/2 1/2 fl oz red wine

  • 450 ml/3/4 pint water

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 6 peppercorns

  • 2 tablespoons plain flour

  • salt and pepper

  • watercress, to garnish 

To serve:

  • Brussels sprouts

  • roasted root vegetables

  • roast potatoes

  • game chips

Method:

  1. Melt half the butter in a pan. Fry the giblets, together with the onion, celery and carrot, until browned.

  2. Add the red wine and boil over a high heat to reduce by half. Add the water, bay leaf and peppercorns, then simmer while preparing and roasting the pheasant. This stock will be used to make the gravy.

  3. Spread the remaining butter over the pheasant, season with salt and pepper and set the bird in a roasting tin.

  4. Roast in a preheated oven, 220°C (425°F), Gas Mark 7, for 20-25 minutes per 500 g/1 lb. Baste several times during cooking. Once the bird is cooked, cover loosely and rest for 10 minutes before carving.

  5. Meanwhile, strain the stock and boil quickly to reduce to 200 ml/7 fl oz. Remove the pheasant and drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the roasting tin, add the flour and stir well to mix with the sediment. Blend in the stock. Boil, strain and keep warm.

  6. Serve the pheasant garnished with watercress and accompanied by Brussels sprouts, roasted root vegetables, roast potatoes, game chips and gravy.